2008-04-01

April Fool!

Okay, admittedly, I am a goofball. And, y'know, a nerdfighter. So it should come as exactly no surprise at all that I was ROFL, as the kids text, when I read today's Shelf Awareness, which is full of "really? No way! Oh, right, April Fool. Hee!" moments such as:

Random House has created an imprint, Memoiries, which will specialize in autobiographical titles whose editors are reluctant to do fact checking. Because this is a presidential election year, initial titles on the spring list have a decidedly political bent:

On the Front Lines in Bosnia by Senator Hillary Clinton

How I Uncovered Iranian Support for Al-Qaeda in Iraq by Senator John McCain

A Million Little Accomplishments: My Stupendous Presidency by George W. Bush with James Frey

and

Potter Prosecution: Rowling's New Move to Protect Work

Lawyers for J.K. Rowling have indicated in public filings that the author of the Harry Potter series has directed them to use their "full powers" to protect the reading experience of fans of her iconic work.

To that end, legal staff are continuing the suit again RDR Books over the Harry Potter Lexicon and will remain vigilant in opposing in court any other similar infringement on Rowling's intellectual property.

More strikingly, in an additional new move, the lawyers have copyrighted and trademarked the words "Harry" and "Potter" and will protect those brands. In a statement, the author said, "Muggles everywhere should be happy that I have been so restrained. Some thought I should protect every word I wrote in the seven Harry Potter volumes."

Nonetheless, a range of affected people and groups have already protested, and Rowling quickly responded with suggestions that she said would be legally satisfactory to her. For one, new editions of Peter Rabbit titles can have the byline "Beatrix P." Likewise future DVDs of the 1989 classic may be retitled When Harold Met Sally. And Chapin and Connick, Jr., should be enough to convey the identities of those magical musicians.

Hah! I am easily amused.

What are you doing for April Fool's Day at your library? Changing your fine structure to $10 per item per day? Banning Charlotte's Web? Reading stories backwards during storytime?

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